Kidnap and Ransom
by See Me As I Am 101
Summary: Arthur has been kidnaped along with his knights and Merlin must save them. But it isn't Arthur that is in danger this time, and this latest challenge could prove too much too soon for one certain knight with awesome hair. Contains Gwaine!whump, possible swearing, plus some gore and slash in the later chapters. Rated T for safety, and involves Gwen, Leon, Gauis and Elyan too.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys, this is my first story ever on FanFiction, so please review! **

The first warning they had of the impending attack was when a startled bird flew shrieking in front of the Camelot hunting party. Then came the arrows, shooting at the King, his servant and his most trusted knights from all directions.

The arrows were not aimed at the King, nor were they aimed at manservant. They avoided the tall man with the tangled blonde hair and the blacksmith-turned-knight, and, for the most part, whizzed over heads or stuck into random trees. The only arrow to actually make contact with human flesh was currently protruding from the rogue knight with the long brown hair-to-die-for's leg.

The knights wheeled their horses together, making a rough circle around both Merlin and their king. Swords were drawn, orders were shouted and horses reared. For a moment the forest was silent, before a roar sounded and masses of armed men all bearing bandit-turned-ruler Lots crest surged forwards, surrounding the small group of 6.

"King Arthur! I have a proposition for you" cried the man himself, striding forwards. Upon seeing King Lot standing there smiling nastily, the stinking feeling in Arthur's stomach grew. "You see Arthur Pendragon, if there is one thing I love most, it is money. And just imagine how much ransom money I could get from the King of Camelot, his second in command and the Queens brother. So here is how it is going to work. The six of you are going to dismount, and hand over any weapons you have. And then you," Lot said, pointing a finger at Merlin, "are going to head back over to Camelot with a letter. Any questions?"

"You said you were going to ransom me, Sir Elyan and Sir Leon, while Merlin goes back to Camelot." Arthur said slowly.  
"Quite right boy." Lot confirmed.  
"So what is to happen to Sir Percival and Sir Gwaine?"

"Ah, I was hoping you would ask that. You see Arthur, I wouldn't get a lot of money ransoming two commoners now would I, even if they are dressed as knights. I did my research, and neither of these two have any family. Besides, asking for five ransoms is too much. The kingdom will gladly pay to see their king and second in command returned, and the Queen for her brother, but I doubt they will fork over even more for a peasant from what used to be Cenreds kingdom and a vagabond with a knack for trouble. So instead, I think I will use your two precious knights for entertainment.

You see, I know all about Lady Morganas little invasion barely 3 weeks ago, and I also know about a certain prisoner who proved to be great entertainment. But sadly this little spot of entertainment only happened a few times, so I plan to rectify that." The captured men all reacted violently to that news. They had all heard detailed accounts of their brothers suffering, and had all seen its damage first hand in Gwaine's limp, bruises and cuts, Elyan' unnatural paleness and new-found fear of snakes and Gauis's weak state. "No!" Arthur cried, desperate to regain some form of control over this situation. "Camelot will pay for their safe return just as much as they will for Sir Leon. Don't harm them!" the Once and Future King pleaded. "That may be true Pendragon, but I would get far more enjoyment out of watching a knight of Camelot bleed and hurt because I wished it so." Here Lot paused, smiling darkly, before signalling his guards. "Split them up."

The bandits collected the knights swords and indicated that Arthur, Leon and Elyan were to remain mounted while Merlin was to dismount and stand before Lot himself. Gwaine and Percival were pushed into a slave wagon, complete with metal bars and chains on the walls. Unfortunately the slave wagon was already occupied with a group of guards who seemed to a have a problem with commoners, knights of Camelot and Gwaine's attitude. The last thing Gwaine saw was Lot handing Merlin a letter and sending him towards Camelot, before one particularly large thug dealt Gwaine a crushing blow to the head and the world went black.

**REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Gwaine noticed was the blinding pain coming from his leg. His splitting headache was nothing he wasn't used to, considering all the times he had woken up severely hung over, and for a moment Gwaine thought that a few too many drinks were to blame for his discomfort before yesterday's memories hit him like a sledge hammer.  
Lot, slave wagon, ransom, Merlin alone...MERLIN!

Gwaine sat up quickly, startling Percival. "Gwaine, you need to rest. The "welcome party" yesterday took quite a toll on you." Percival said, moving towards him.  
"Where's Merlin?" Gwaine asked urgently, taking in the bare cell with the stone walls and the bruises on Percival's face. "He's safe. He should be back in Camelot by now" Percival reassured him, but Gwaine could detect a small tremor of worry in the big guys voice.

"What happened to your face?" was Gwaines next question."The thugs from the wagon can really pack a punch, but for some reason they were more concerned with beating you half to death, so they mostly left me alone."

"Ah. That would be why my leg feels like its on fire" Gwaine commented, glancing down at the rough bandage wrapped around his calf.  
"One of the bandits succeeded in driving the arrow almost clear through your leg. And on that subject, why didn't you tell be you got shot?" Percival asked, reprimanding.  
"Never seemed like a good time, what with the whole "taken capture" business." Gwaine replied. Suddenly, the cell door swung open and Lot marched in. "You are to be moved to a cell conjoining with the one holding my other new prisoners. Percival, you shall be heading there right away. Riptide will take you" Lot announced, pointing to one of the guards. Percival made no move to leave. "What about Gwaine? What are you going to do to him?" he demanded.

"Gwaine will be taken to your new cell, don't worry, but first, he is going to provide a little entertainment for me in exchange for food and water to be provided to all 5 of you. Now, leave." With that a pair of guards grabbed Percival by the arms and dragged him off.  
"Now, Gwaine. I also have a proposition for you. In return for fighting my men, I will not only provide sufficient food and water for 5 people, I will leave the big guy alone, Percival. Should you change your mind and refuse to fight, rations for my 3 money makers will be halved, and I will have my men beat Percival to death. On the likely event of your death, Percival shall take your place for a week before I sell him on the slave market. Should any attempted rescue take place, I will vent my anger on you Gwaine. Should any attempted escape take place, both you and Percival will pay. These rules are being told your friends as we speak. Now, come with me. It is time for your first "session"."

And with that, Lot exited the cell, and Gwaine followed. He was lead into what looked like a throne room. Only it was packed full of bandits circling a clear patch of floor. Gwaine was pushed into the centre and handed a pen knife. Gwaine glanced at his meagre weapon, raising his eyebrow. "This is all I get? What am I fighting, a bunny?" Gwaine complained.

"No. Not a bunny." Answered a deep and unfriendly voice from behind Gwaine.  
Gwaine whirled around to face a giant of a man, armed with a large axe and a mace. Gwaine had only time to grimace before the human tank was upon him. He dodged left and then right, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade of the battle axe. He wasn't so lucky the 3rd time, and the axe cut through the flesh of his arm like it was butter, a hair width away from the bone.

Things just got worse as the mace hit Gwaine square in the chest, standing him flying into a wall. He slid down and landed on the hard floor with a thump, and just sat there winded until the first of the boots contacted with his leg. More and more boots kicked him as the bandits around the rouge knight showed him just how much they hated the knight of Camelot.

Eventually, Lot called them off and rescued the poor man, but he was unconscious and very battered. Gwaine was dragged to the new cell and thrown in, where he was caught before he hit the floor and set down gently.


	3. Chapter 3

Percival was having a very bad day. First he was captured, then he learned that his best friend Gwaine was going to have to fight bandits for entertainment and then he learnt that Gwaine was going to have to fight the bandits for him.

Sure, he was doing it for food and water as well, but that didn't matter. The only bright spot was that he was now in a cell with Sir Leon, Sir Elyan and King Arthur. They had all been very worried about him and Gwaine, and that worry had turned to anger and frustration after Percival told them about the welcome party in the slave wagon and that Gwaine had been shot when they had been captured. That anger increased when a guard came to their cell and told them about Gwaines deal with Lot.

"In return for fighting His Majesties men, His Majesty will not only provide sufficient food and water for 5 people, he will not harm Percival. Should Gwaine change his mind and refuse to fight, rations for his 3 prisoners will be halved, and he will have his men beat Percival to death. On the likely event of Gwaines death, Percival shall take his place for a week before he is sold on the slave market. Should any attempted rescue take place, King Lot will vent his anger on Gwaine. Should any attempted escape take place, both Gwaine and Percival will pay." The guard then left, leaving the prisoners to their shock. The silence was broken by Arthur, a good ten minutes later. "We won't let them take you Percival. Gwaine will make sure of that. He's a good fighter. He will survive what ever they throw at him."

"Yeah, but he shouldn't have too. Not again. You didn't see him last time. It took a lot out of him." Elyan interjected. It was at that moment that the guards chose to return, dragging a limp and bloodied figure. They threw him into the cell and Percival rushed forward to catch him. He then set the man down in a corner, and brushed his hair out of his eyes so Percival could see who the man was. He already knew in his heart of course. Nobody else had that hair. "Gwaine? You with me?" Percival asked softly, shaking his friend gently. When there was no answer, he stood up and backed away. "Does any one have any medical knowledge? Of any kind?" he asked frantically.

"I have a bit, from last time." Elyan said, kneeling down beside his fallen comrade.  
As Elyan looked Gwaine over, Arthur grew more and more angry. When he got free, he was going to kill Lot. But the problem was that while he, Sir Leon and Sir Eylan would survive, the future of Gwaine and Percival was much less certain. "Gwaine's hurt quite badly. Not enough to kill him, but enough to cause him a great deal of pain and discomfort." Elyan told them. "What are his injuries?" Arthur asked, not sure he wanted know the extent of the rogue knights pain. "Multiple broken ribs, a slash on his arm that goes all the way to the bone, the leg wound from before, lots of very large and very painful bruises and a few small but deep cuts on his torso." Elyan said, clearly as unhappy as they were. "That bad huh? Is my face still ok? My hair?" came a voice from behind the Camelot crew.

"Gwaine!" four voices cried as one, turning around. "Are you ok mate?" asked Percival concernedly, and for a moment Gwaine let the mask slip, revealing that he was most certainly not ok, before fixing it back into place and grinning. "Course I am."  
"What happened?" Arthur asked. "Oh, you know, just your regular horse sized man who has a freaking huge axe and the mother of all maces which he uses to make you fly through the air and into a wall." Sir Leon winced, images of similar events springing into mind. "And, of course, the wall is surrounded by a bunch of nasty bandits who waste no time in showing me just how much they don't like Camelot, and in particular her king. And because I'm a commoner, a nobody and, more importantly, I've sworn an oath of loyalty to you princess, they don't like me either. To be fair I did call Lot a few names including an ugly toad who will be forever alone, but still..." Gwaine trailed off, unconsciously rubbing his injured leg.

Arthur opened his mouth to scold Gwaine for angering their captor, but was distracted by the the cell door opening. "Your prize Gwaine." Lot himself was standing outside their prison, and a servant was holding a tray laden with two pitchers of water, a pot of what smelled like stew and a bowl of bread. Elyan moved to take the tray, but Lot held up his hand. "No, not you. It must be Gwaine, unassisted." Lot told them, smiling a nasty grin that never reached his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, Merlin was having a day that rivalled Percival's in the winner for most suckish. He had been having a relatively nice time before Lot came in, listening and sometimes joining in to the knights banter, laughing as Arthur chased Gwaine around the camp for stealing his lunch and relaxing in the general quiet and peace of the forest.

And then Lot came, taking Arthur, the man he was destined to protect, away to be ransomed along with Elyan and Leon. Merlin wasn't too worried about them, he knew that Lot would treat his prisoners well, in order to both give Camelot less reason to be angry and to make more profit. No, Merlin was worried about Gwaine. He knew that Gwaine had been shot by Lots men, and he knew that the slave wagon they had been lead into was full of armed men. He could feel them. For a moment he debated following them, then changed his mind and set off towards Camelot.

Gwen knew instantly that something was very wrong when Merlin walked through the gates alone and horseless. Maybe Arthur was hurt and Merlin had been sent to get help? No, that couldn't be it. Gwaine would have accompanied him, or if Gwaine too was hurt then he would have made sure somebody went with Merlin. Besides, that still didn't explain why Merlin was on foot.

Gwen rushed down the stairs and across the courtyard, her hair flying and her beautiful dress getting in the mud. "Merlin? Merlin, what happened? Where is Arthur?" Gwen asked concernedly, her heart in her mouth. "He's been kidnapped, along with Sir Leon and Sir Elyan. I have a letter you need to read." Merlin added, showing it to her. "My chambers, quickly. Go get Gauis and bring him with you." Merlin nodded and ran off, leaving Gwen to process her thoughts.

Arthur...kidnaped? How was that even possible? His knights would never allow for this to happen unless...  
It hadn't escaped Gwen's notice how Merlin had said that Arthur, Elyan and Leon had been kidnaped, but not Gwaine and Percival. What had become of the gentle giant and the loveable rouge? Shaking her head it clear it, she slowly headed towards her chambers.

Gauis had also know that something was very wrong when Merlin burst into the physicians quarters, calling his name. "What is it Merlin, what's wrong?" Gauis said worriedly, hurrying forward. "You are needed in Gwen's chambers right away. No, nobody's hurt." Merlin assured as Gauis went to collect his bag. "Then what is it?" Gauis asked, clearly very confused. "I'll explain when we get there." Merlin called back, already halfway out of the door. With a sigh, Gauis followed behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I had shit to do. And a mega writers block. **  
**Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Merlin. I just "borrow" them for a bit, knock them around and hand them right back, still mostly intact. Well..maybe not Gwaine...**

"You can't be serious. Your man just sent him flying into a walk hours after another one of your men shot him in the leg. This goes against every rule of knights code. Even a man such as you must have honour, Lot. And mercy." Arthur pleaded.  
But Lot stood unrelenting.  
It got worse as Percival moved to help Gwaine stand.  
One moment he was reaching out his hand, Gwaine was grasping it and he was tensing his legs in preparation, and the next there was a grey blur, a glint of metal and Gwaine's soft yelp of pain.  
"Unassisted I said. Next time, it won't be on the arm." Lot reprimanded, his eyes hard, his gaze threatening and his mouth curled in a slight smile of amusement.  
Gwaine took a few deep breaths, pushing the pain of the 4 inch long cut on his right forearm to the back of his mind, where painful memories, old aches, nightmares and a life before the alcohol, before the girls, before the loneliness, before the cracks in his mirror started to appear, lurked.  
When Gwaine was born, he was born with a mirror inside. There is a mirror inside every one of us. And when Gwaine was born, his mirror was smooth. Flawless. But every time he ever felt alone, ever was upset, ever lost his temper, a tiny crack in that mirror appeared. Too small to see with the naked eye. The worse the insult, the event, the thing, the bigger the crack in the over time, those many tiny cracks form to make one bigger crack. And this crack you can see. Those who loose it, those forgotten souls with the empty eyes: their mirror shattered along ago. But with people like Gwaine, the cracks have been painted over. Repaired. The shards pieced back together. Gwaine's mirror is very cracked. And although every day he spends as a knight of Camelot repairs his mirror just that little bit more, you will all ways be able to see the cracks. Once a mirror is broken, once that smooth surface splits, you will always be able to see it, no matter how well you put it back together.  
That is what is kept in the darkened corner of Gwaine's mind. And now, he is just adding to the hurt.

The breaths helped. Gwaine manages to haul himself to his feet, swaying slightly. He slowly but surely makes his way over to Lot, takes the tray off the servant and looks Lot in the eye.

Huh. Lot didn't think he could do it. Of course he didn't. And so Gwaine stands there, food tray firmly clutched in one hand, looking at Lot with fire in his eyes and freedom in his soul.  
"Thank you, for your consideration." Gwaine spits.  
Lot turns and looks away, trying to hide the defeat from his eyes. But there is also a challenge. Just how much would it take to break a man like Gwaine?

Lot didn't know, but he thought that it would be fun finding out.

**A/N: Please please please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

**'Sup peoples. There is slash in this chap. Oh, and torture. Nothing too detailed. (With the torture that is. I'm thinking a fluffy, detailed kissing scene will do nicely in a later chapter). If you hate my attempt at slash, TELL ME FOR THE LOVE OF TRIBBLES. But seeing as this is a Merlin fandom, substitute Tribbles for Gwaine's favourite apple pie/ale.**

As soon as Lot rounds the corner, Gwaine drops. The others are ready for this though. Elyan catches the tray, Percival catches Gwaine, Leon smoothes out his cloak to use as a makeshift mattress and Arthur lets out a roar as he shakes the bars in pure helplessness, anger and frustration.  
"Tell Princess to keep it down. Some people have a headache here." Gwaine mumbles, and Arthur instantly falls silent, feeling guilty.

And later, when the stew is half gone, the hour late and Gwaine snoring loudly from his sprawled out position on the floor, they remain awake, alert and vigilant. They shall not sleep tonight. Who knows what they will find when the wake. Gwaine gone, Gwaine hurt more, Gwaine dead.

They will never know if that nighttime watch helped.  
What they do know is that hours after Gwaine wakes, he is taken again. And when he returns...  
When he returns it is hard to tell where Gwaine is hurting. His skin is caked in blood. Eventually, it is determined that eight games of noughts and crosses were played in the hall, with but with knives not quills and Gwaine's chest and back as the playing board. Even worse was the scoring system. Noughts won a game? Break a finger on his left hand. Crosses took home the gold? Break a finger on the right.

It sickens Leon. That a man he cares about, a man who has saved his life before, a man he trusts to have his back, can be tortured like this. For the others it is worse.

Part of Arthur dies inside. He is meant to look after his men. They should not be tortured simply because they are not noble. Gwaine, despite his faults, is one of Arthur's favourite men. He is brave, strong, laid back, friendly, loyal. He is better then this.

Eylan can't watch. He can't be here. He has to get away. Because this, this is worse then last time. Gwaine bleeding cheerfully from various body parts all while flirting, chatting and drinking is ok. It's normal. It's comforting. Everything will be fine. But the sight of Gwaine limp on the ground, his fingers broken, his body carved, still and silent with no ale in sight- that scares Elyan to his core.

But it hits Percival the hardest. Because, not only is Gwaine doing this for him, but- and Percival can't believe this is really happening- he has evolved...feelings...for the guy. And by that he means more-then-just-friends. Because he doesn't want Gwaine to be out cold in the floor. He doesn't want them to be here at all. There is a long and complicated process to go through. Trust has to be built, a relationship founded and goals set. It is lengthy, vital and necessary. But Percival just wants to skip that part. He wants Gwaine to just be kissing him now. Even though that will never happen.

Because Gwaine gets close to people, but not too close. Not close enough for them to snag his shirt and pin him down. Not close enough to love back. But close enough for some poor sucker to fall hopelessly in love with his brother in arms.


	7. Chapter 7

After what seems like weeks, months, Gwaine groans and shifts slightly. Instantly, four pairs of eyes true to him. Percival is the first to speak. "You right mate?" Inwardly, he issues a stream do curses. Of course he's not alright. He's just been tortured for Pete's sake! Gwaine grins anyway. "I'm fine." Fucked up. Insecure. Neurotic. Emotional. "What happened?" The others trade wary glances. "You don't remember?" Leon asks, worried and glad at the same time. It's a feeling all the others share. "Oh, I remember alright. Some bastard decided to play a few rounds of some princess game on my back. He was none to gentle on my fingers either. I'm asking why you are all looking like somebody kicked your puppy." "Somebody did." Arthur replies, his grim look killing Elyan's slight grin. But it didn't dim Gwaine's. "Oh, so I'm a puppy now. Alrighty then." The change in atmosphere was a small one, but it was noticeable. Arthur lost his pinched look, Leon relaxed a fraction, Elyan smiled because Gwaine was, and Percival felt his heart melt. And then came the ominous creak of the cell door.


	8. Chapter 8

Gwen had been waiting for Merlin for only a few minutes, but it felt like years had passed. The unrelenting thought of Arthur is in danger never strayed far from her mind, and try as she might, she couldn't banish it. That's because, in her heart, she knew it to be true. The door flew open, startling Gwen, and Merlin rushed in, closely followed by a red faced Gauis. "Merlin? Please, tell me, what has happened?" Gwen pleaded. "He's been kidnaped. Along with all his knights. Here." Merlin handed her the letter.

_Dear Lady Guinevere _

_As you have no doubt been informed, I now have your beloved husband, Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, his right hand Sir Leon, and your brother Elyan in my custody, along with two commoners masquerading as knights. I intended to ransom my three important hostages. For Arthur, I want 2 000 gold coins. For Sir Leon, 1 000, and for your brother, 800. If this demands are not met, you shall receive their broken bodies back, piece by piece. Another note regarding the place and time of the drop off for the payment shall arrive shortly. If you test me, you will fail. _

_Yours, King Lot._


	9. Authors note

**A/N: A message from Ensign Purple Taco, the goddamn author **

**First up, I'm sorry for the delays between updates, and I'm sorry chapter 7 and 8 are so short. They will get longer. Hopefully. Now, on to business. On average, 25 people have read this story the whole way through. Out of those, 18 have followed. To all 18 of you, you get a unicorn. Thank you so much. And 9 have favourited. That's half of the followers. To those 9, you make my year. Thank you so, so much. You get unicorns too, and a Llama, and a narwhal, and on of those mini horse things. And I have...4 reviews. Really guys? Three of the four reviews were to ask me to fix a spacing/presentation issue, which is have now done. This was my first fic on here. It's my only mulitchap proper story. I'm really unsure about it, and I'm not sure which parts you guys liked, which parts you didn't, if I'm making any mistakes and if you like any of my plot ideas/one liners/overall fabulousness. If you don't review, I WILL NEVER KNOW. So I won't be able to fix it, I will probably make the same mistake again, and if it's something you liked/didn't like, I might not keep it in later chapters or I might keep it. So REVIEW please. Even more nerve-wracking is that I have now included slash and torture. And I don't know if I suck at writing anything romance related, whether it seems fake or forced, whether the torture was too horrible or uncreative or whether or not I should give up and go die in a hole cause writing this shit with no feedback is hard. I do try. This is for you dear readers. This is for your enjoyment. And I don't know if you are enjoying it. **

**Long story short: Please review **


End file.
